Pileated Parrot
Male scarlet parrot head
The scarlet head parrot ( Pionopsitta pileata ) is a real Neuweltpapagei in the genus of ornamental parrots ( Pionopsitta ).
Features
The scarlet parrot head reaches a body length of 22 cm. The males have a green basic plumage. At the fillet regions, the springs are slightly blue tinted. The feathers on crown, forehead and reins are orange - red, the ear patches are brownish. The plumage of the neck is lined with olive green. The wings are purple - blue feathers on the edge and at the hand ceiling. The lower wing cover and the outer webs of the wings are blue-green. The feathers on the legs and under tail ceiling are yellow-green. On the upper tail feathers are green and the ceiling have blue hems. The feathers on the tail base have a matte blue-green. The beak of the parrot is gray-green and horn-color towards the tip. The iris is dark brown with brownish eyes unbefiederten rings. The feet are gray. The females are similar to males, but they do not have orange - red feathers on crown, forehead and reins. Their feathers are green at this point and her forehead is bluish.
The young birds resemble the adult birds. Young males are already visible in the nest and are characterized by their red forehead feathers.
Occurrence
The distribution of scarlet head parrot ranges from southeastern Brazil to north-eastern Argentina. Here they inhabit the forests of tropical and subtropical zones. On the coasts of eastern Brazil you meet them still at 1500 meters height.
Way of life
The scarlet parrot head is not only a resident of the rain forests, it is also found in the lowland areas of Paraguay and Argentina. The parrots live in pairs or small groups, resting on the tops of trees during the day. In search of food they move gently away from the branches. They are fast and direct flyers.